Wishes
by Saun
Summary: Haruka and Michiru: Alternate Universe? Past Life? Michiru is a mermaid


Wishes  
by Saun harukanmichiru@hotmail.com  
Rated: R  
Haruka and Michiru  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon & Company do not belong to me. I just   
borrowed them for a bit.  
  
Michiru flattened herself against the coral wall of the   
mer-palace. She could feel the tiny skeletons scraping the tender skin  
of her back, her heartbeat throbbed steadily in her ears. She took   
the chance to look down the long corridor again, there was no one   
there...yet. 'Where was he? Maybe around the corner?' She took a deep   
lung full of water and swam out toward the door. 'There he is.' Her   
fist reflexively clenched around the handful of tiny shells she had   
gathered earlier. She peeked again at the guard that was patrolling   
exactly where she wanted to be. She lifted her hand and tossed the   
myriad of little shells down the hallway.  
  
The skittering echoed through the water, but it would have   
been hardly discernable to a human ear, but for Michiru it had the   
desired effect. The guard whipped around to follow the suspicious   
sound. Michiru had to smother a laugh as she shot out of her hiding   
place, behind a cultivated kelp bed, and out the hole concealed behind  
it.  
  
Once free, she shot up away from the castle and out into the  
great blue beyond. She was almost to the castle boundaries when   
one of the guard dolphins swam over and began to squeak a greeting.   
Michiru grabbed his mouth and held it firmly while she rummaged   
through the contents of her little carry sack. Finally she found what  
she was looking for and stuffed the fish into the dolphin's smiling   
beak.  
  
She was trying to leave again when she was bumped hard from  
behind. It was another of the dolphins.  
  
'Oh you want some too?' she asked the newcomer. The dolphin   
seemed to nod and Michiru tossed her some fish.  
  
'Now go.' Both zipped off.  
  
Michiru smiled after them and then turned to be on her way.   
She swirled in the water 'I'm free, free to do as I like. No one knows   
where I am.' As she thought about her home, she frowned. It really   
wasn't as if anyone cared where she was, as long as they assumed her   
to locked tightly with the harem quarters. Michiru loved adventures.   
When she was eight she had a discovered the way into her father's   
library. At fifteen she had found a hole in the walls outside the   
concubine's quarters - and she'd made good use of it since then.   
  
When she reached her desired destination, she sank to the   
ocean floor. The other day a storm had passed through and hopefully  
had churned the sandy bottom and brought up something interesting. She  
had heard that some mer men spent their time searching for land people  
things, but what Michiru sought was things that made music. If she   
could strike it and hear a chord that echoed through the surrounding   
water, she put in her bag to take home and hide in her treasure box.   
She already had several shells that made the most beautiful sounds   
when blown. Michiru thought she saw something shiny and reached for it.  
As she searched the sandy bottom, the afternoon slipped away.  
  
Schools of tiny silver fish darted in and out of the light.   
There was a rush of bubbles as Michiru broke through their numbers. A   
powerful kick sent her sailing through the warm liquid. The water   
embraced her and several fish swam close to her. Overhead a shadow   
blotted out the sun. Michiru froze; she quickly glanced around her,  
only to find that many of her aquatic friends had deserted to her.   
She looked up again and her blue eyes widened as the shadow slowly   
clarified. A conical snout, torpedo shaped body, and powerful tail   
propelled the Great White shark through the water. The only thing that  
that marred the perfection of the powerful body was a long scar that   
ran the length of the flank. The mermaid laughed with delight as she   
recognized her friend and before rose to meet him.   
  
Michiru spent a little time with the old shark. He was nearing  
seventy. She knew it was getting late and she needed to return to the   
palace. A ship began to pass overhead. Michiru looked up at it. She was  
surprised when a moment later the old shark turned and fell in behind  
the aft section. It was then that she noticed the large hunk of meat   
that trailed in the water. She could just barely see the silver of the  
hook glinting in the dim light. 'No!' They were trying to catch him.   
Michiru shot up to try to stop her friend, but he had already taken   
the meat. It took him a moment to realize that something was wrong.   
He tried to descend but was brought up short as soon as the rope   
tightened. Had Michiru been thinking clearly she would have realized   
that the sharp serrated teeth of the great white would soon make short  
work of the rope fibers, but instead she tried to get close enough to  
help him. The shark was thrashing wildly by now, trying to free  
himself. In the struggle he whipped around quickly and Michiru had the  
breath knocked out of her by the impact his tail. As she paused there  
trying to suck in more water, a net came down from the ship. Before   
she knew it Michiru was hopelessly entangled and being drawn up toward   
the blinding light.  
  
--------------------------Aboard the Sea King---------------------  
  
The captain stood on the deck. The wind ruffled his white hair  
and he let out a laugh of pure joy as he filled his lungs with the   
tangy air. He loved being at sea. He enjoyed everything about  
it - traveling, the freedom, the squalls. Well, maybe not the last   
one, but he really did enjoy being out on the waves.   
  
He sighed and looked up toward the rigging where his   
17-year-old cabin boy was scampering to the top of the mast.   
'That boy. He's always into something.' He watched as the lad easily   
navigated the ropes. Once comfortable, he would stay up there for  
hours even though the wind was fierce there and it would nigh blow   
another man off into the sea. His attention was drawn back from the  
sky when a couple of his men ran past him.  
  
"Hey, Cap'n they caught somth'n!" The captain followed his   
crewmen over to where to of the sailors were dragging up their net.  
  
"That'll teach the bloody shark who's a charge 'ere"  
  
"Yeah, we'll cut 'im frum gills to guts, tear out'is innards   
and then skin 'em."  
  
"Y'know shark skeens bring in good money, real good money."   
The net was deposited on deck. The sailors looked at their catch with  
great disappointment.   
  
"'E ain't very big."  
  
"Wait a bloody minute, that ain't no shark."  
  
"Well hell, it sure ain't ."  
  
"Looky here." The sailor laughed as he dumped their find onto the deck.   
  
Michiru gave a pained cry a her arms and tail landed with   
bruising force.   
  
" I think we jes caught ourselves one of them fish ladies."  
  
"Well, looky here, mateys? We done caught our selves a  
mer-maid."  
  
"Gawd's eyes. I never did see such a thing."  
  
"Yeah, Ain't she purty."  
  
One of the sailors grabbed Michiru's arms and yanked them back  
displaying her for the rest of the crew. Her long sea green hair fell  
forward over her naked breasts, but it afforded her little modesty.   
One of the pale globes was cruelly pinched and Michiru had to bite her  
lip to keep from crying out.   
  
"She sure looks like a lady right here, but I wonder if she   
still be a maid t'all."  
  
The men all laughed. "Mebe you can find out later t'night   
Pete."   
  
From her vantage point Haruka could see the sailors were   
excited. She could hear little of their conversation, but she assumed   
that they had finally caught that shark that had been following the   
boat to scavenge. She had hoped that their attempt would be   
unsuccessful, but it looked as if they had dragged something up   
although it looked awfully small to be the shark. For now she would   
ignore them; it was actually safer that way. If a fight ensued Haruka   
couldn't begin to imagine what would happen when her true gender was   
discovered.   
  
Alexandra Haruka of the ducal house of Tennough had run away   
from home five months ago. Her final act of defiance before she left   
had been to cut off her long blond hair. He father had been pretty   
angry and tried to lock her in her room. He hadn't really meant it.   
It was just a last ditch effort to try to control his strong - willed  
only child. Unfortunately for him, Haruka had had enough and so she   
simply climbed out her window and down the oak tree. She headed for   
the carriage house where she had shed her voluminous skirts and then   
tightly bound her chest so that the soft feminine curves gave way to  
angles that would proclaim her a boy. The final touch had been the old  
clothes she had appropriated from a stable lad. That night Alexandra   
had disappeared, replaced by a handsome youth with penetrating teal   
eyes. For the first time that she could remember, Haruka had been   
happy.   
  
'What was that?' the girl's attention was idly drawn back to   
the thing 'A body, perhaps? 'She could make out the top of a woman,   
but she couldn't sea anything else. Well, it wouldn't be the first   
time such a gruesome discovery had been unwittingly dragged to the   
surface, but the 'body' seemed to be struggling. Haruka suddenly   
felt an undeniable compulsion to leave the relative safety of her   
perch and see what was going on down there.  
  
With a grace born of experience, Haruka crawled through the   
rope and then slid the rest of the way to the ground, landing on her  
feet. She moved toward the crowd of men and elbowed her way to the   
front. It was actually very difficult because no one seemed to want to  
move. Haruka was shocked by what she saw. There was a mermaid, a real  
live mermaid.   
  
The girl hung limply in the grasp of two of the men. She had   
lovely dark aqua hair and delicate, beautiful features that even the   
mass of hair in her face couldn't hide. Suddenly the girl looked up   
and Haruka found herself lost in unbelievable blue eyes. She wasn't   
sure if was because the girl had so recently been pulled out of  
the water or if it was because she was truly crying, but there were   
two suspicious tracks of shimmering liquid spilling down the mer-girl's  
face. Haruka's heart lurched and she stepped forward, but she was   
knocked out of the way as the group of men brushed by her.  
  
Two of the crewmen had the girl's arms in a tight grip; they   
were dragging her across the deck. Haruka winced as she say the   
mermaid's tail being rubbed against the sand roughened boards. This   
couldn't go on, Haruka wouldn't allow it. She needed to find the   
captain. She turned heading toward his quarters.  
  
---------------------------Captain Room----------------------------  
  
"What?!?"  
  
"Boy, I said exactly what I meant. That mermaid is worth a lot   
of money back in England. As a curiosity. Do you have any idea how  
much people would pay to see such a thing?"  
  
"Sir, she's meant for the water. What if she doesn't survive  
the trip?"  
  
The captain's eyes took on an unholy light, "Then her value  
will be even more! There is probably some doctor out there who would   
love to dissect a real live mermaid- even if she's dead. We'll all be  
set for life."  
  
"How can you say that! You're party to a murder. That is a   
living being out there and she deserves to be..."  
  
Haruka was cut off as the captain's hands clamped around her   
upper arms and jerked her forward. She could smell the alcohol on his   
breath; no doubt he'd already been celebrating his good fortune. Haruka  
had to hold her breath to stave off the smell as he spoke directly   
into her face.  
  
"Listen, boy, you know I give you a lot of leeway here. It's  
partly because of the fact that you saved my life during that bad   
squall, but as for the resht of it ...well, you're the best damn cabin   
boy I've ever had, but don't you go interfer'n with this. You jest go   
back to your duties and forget about thish mermaid. Okay?" His fingers  
dug into the flesh of her arm.  
  
Haruka knew it was no use arguing with the man. She had once   
respected him, but looking into his liquor-glazed eyese, she sadly   
realized that was over. She was wise enough, however, to realize that  
any further perceived disagreement on her part would be met with some  
sort of retribution.  
  
"All right." she said, the captain relaxed his grip and leaned   
back in his chair, once again reaching for his port. Haruka took one   
last look at him before she left, heading for the galley.  
  
------------------------------Later---------------------------  
  
Haruka crept down into the hold. There was a tiny bundle   
clutched to her chest and a skin of diluted wine hanging at her side.   
She followed the strong fishy odor. There, in a corner behind some   
boxes of cargo, lay the mermaid. She stirred when the light from   
Haruka's lantern flooded the previously darkened space.  
  
"Are you hungry?" Haruka asked in a low tone. The girl looked   
confused. Haruka pantomimed the act of eating, but Michiru's eyes only  
slid down to the chunk of bread and then averted to the floor. It   
wasn't working; the mermaid simply wasn't going to eat. Haruka took a   
closer look at the mer-girl and realized that she was dying. Her lips  
were chapped and broken. Her scales no longer shone lustrously. The   
rise and fall of her chest was irregular as she tried desperately to   
breathe. Suddenly Haruka couldn't stand it any longer. This beautiful   
creature with the haunting blue eyes was going to die so that a few   
men could make a profit from her body. If there was anything that   
Haruka was familiar with, it was the horror of being at the mercy of  
greedy men. Her father had always assured her that once she married   
that she would feel differently, but Haruka knew better. Most of those  
men who had asked for her hand had wanted her father's money and   
position in society and the others had merely wanted her physically.   
Either way Haruka wasn't interested. As Haruka looked at this delicate  
creature she felt a gentle stirring in her chest and she knew that   
she could not allow the mer-girl to die.   
  
"I'm going to help you get out of here." She whispered, more   
to herself than anyone else, but the mermaid looked up at her with   
eyes suddenly sharpened by intelligence. Haruka could have sworn that   
she understood.  
  
Late that night, after most of the other crewmen had drunk   
themselves into a stupor while rejoicing over their catch, Haruka once   
again stole down into the hold. She brought with her a sheet from the   
captain's bed. Michiru was curled up on the floor, shuddering. Haruka   
laid a hand on her arm. Michiru jumped.  
  
"It's okay. It's just me. Here, let's get you on this."  
  
Michiru was reassured by the husky whisper. She rolled onto her  
side and helped Haruka ease her tail onto the sheet. It was perfectly   
suited for in the water, but on land was extremely unwieldy, not to   
mention heavy. It was doubtful that Haruka could have lifted her by   
herself, but then, that was why she had brought the sheet. Once   
Michiru was ensconced on the cool cloth, Haruka commenced dragging her   
across the ship's underbelly and to the steps. Once they reached the  
stairs, they worked together to get the mermaid up them, mostly with   
Michiru dragging herself and Haruka pushing from behind. It was a  
feat was accomplished for the most part in silence. They worked in   
almost perfect concert, as if they had done so before in another time,  
another place.  
  
Once out of the hold, Haruka gently pushed Michiru against  
the wall and went to make sure that the lookout wasn't nearby. Michiru  
leaned against the door panting in exhaustion. When Haruka returned,   
she pulled Michiru to the side of the ship and lifted her upper body   
over the side. Michiru used her hands and tail to push herself the   
rest of the way over. She soon found herself plummeting headfirst into   
the cold water. Once back in the soothing embrace of the sea, she sank   
to the bottom - to rest.  
  
Haruka watched her disappear over the side; surprised at the   
painful tugging of her heart as the mer-girl vanished from sight. She  
blinked her eyes a couple of times and then let out a sigh 'What was I  
thinking?' Haruka stood there breathing in the salty night air for a   
moment longer, then she turned to go back to her own room to sleep.  
  
---------------------------Noon the next day-------------------------  
  
"Eh, Boy! Come're."  
  
Haruka looked up from where she was swabbing the deck. She  
took a couple of cautious steps toward the group of sailors; she held   
the mop in front of her in case she needed it. She looked into the  
hard-eyed leader of the group.  
  
"Boy, where's the fish girl?"  
  
"You mean the mermaid?"  
  
Of course, that was all it was about. All she had to do was   
play dumb. She slowly relaxed her stance. It was a mistake. Two of the  
men had grabbed her in an instant.   
  
Haruka panicked and began to struggle away from them. Their   
firm grips held.  
  
"Don't hurt 'im" one nervous little crewman pleaded.   
  
"Oh we ain't goingta hurt 'im mate."  
  
"We're jes gonna kill 'im"  
  
"Yeah, he likes the fishes so much, we're just going to   
let 'im sleep wi' 'em   
  
"Loike 'e's been want'n to since 'e seen those pretty bubbies   
on the fish-girl."   
  
Haruka cried out as a heavy hand knocked her across the deck   
toward an open side of the ship. Four of the men lifted her up and   
hurled her slender body into the sea. The impact with the cold water   
made a dim impression on Haruka's fading senses, but after   
that...nothing.  
  
The next thing Haruka was aware of was the rather large   
dragonfly perched on her nose. Her blue green eyes crossed for a   
moment as she tried to focus.  
  
"Ugh," she murmured and shooed the bug away. Her head throbbed.   
'What happened?' She opened her eyes again. She was lying in the shade  
of a willow tree next to a small lagoon. The water was a deep blue   
color and a tiny waterfall fed it. 'What a beautiful place! How did I  
get here?'  
  
She suddenly noticed that the cloth that had bound her breasts   
was undone and lying by her side. Someone had brought her here.  
  
"Oh, good. You're awake," commented a musical voice.  
  
Haruka looked around to see who had spoken to her. There was   
no one there; a chill passed up Haruka's spine.  
  
"Who's there?"  
  
"I'm over here - in the water." Haruka looked over into the   
lagoon; there was the mermaid she had helped aboard the ship. She   
simply stared, stunned.   
  
"You talk?"  
  
"Of course." Then the girl's eyes slid away. "But not to them."  
  
Suddenly Haruka's memory came back and she saw the crew, angry   
over the loss of their prize. She remembered the pain of being   
struck. "What happened to me?," she wondered aloud.  
  
"Somebody threw you overboard. "  
  
"How did we get here? That's not salt water, is it?"  
  
"No, this island is set on top of a freshwater spring. In the  
center of this pool is an underwater tunnel that connects with the sea  
and so I can swim right up into the middle of the island. This has   
always been one of my favorite thinking spots."   
  
"It's a beautiful place. I wonder why no one else has ever   
come here before."  
  
"Probably because this island is so well protected. It's   
surrounded on three sides by sharp rocks. Most ships would be   
shattered on them if they tried to approach it.  
  
"You brought me here?"  
  
The green haired girl nodded.   
  
Haruka was sure that she probably would have died without the  
intervention of the mermaid. "Thank you for saving my life."  
  
"No, thank you for saving mine."  
  
"So you undressed me, huh?" Haruka pulled the edges of her   
shirt together and began to button it. Her cheeks had taken on a light  
pink tinge.  
  
"Yes, I had to, you'd ingested so much salt water. You couldn't   
breathe properly with that cloth in place. Are all of your females   
forced to wear such things?"  
  
Haruka thought about her corsets and how they smushed,   
pinched, and lifted. "Actually, we have much worse."  
  
Michiru winced.   
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Haruka...well, not really. Haruka is my middle name. My first   
name is actually Alexandra, but I hate it. So I go by my middle name.   
My mother loved to travel and I was born far away from England. So she  
named me Haruka because it means "distant."  
  
"That's interesting. My name means rising or full."  
  
"What *is* your name?"  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, it's Michiru."  
  
"Michiru." Haruka rolled the word on her tongue, savoring it.  
  
She looked again at the mermaid. The girl's eyes had dark   
circles under them with traces of bruises and cuts still marring her   
porcelain skin. Her own head began to throb as the blood began to slam   
its way across her skull. It would probably be a while before either   
of them recovered from that ordeal. A sudden surge of tiredness washed  
over her and her eyes began to close as she yawned.  
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just can't seem to keep my eyes   
open any longer."  
"I understand. I'm going home, but I'll be back in a couple of  
days."  
Haruka just barely heard Michiru before consciousness departed.  
Inside her soul gave a joyful leap, 'She'll be back!'  
------------------------------Three Days Later--------------------------  
  
Haruka was exploring, so far she'd found that the island had a  
plentiful food supply, which was good considering her insatiable   
appetite. She was attempting to maje her life on the island a bit more  
homey, she'd already built a makeshif hammock for sleeping in.  
She smiled to herself. 'If only father could see me now.'  
  
"Haru-ka!!"  
The cry startled her, but only for a second. Michiru had returned.  
  
Haruka took of toward the island's center, where the beautiful  
mermaid waited. Sure enough perched on a rock near the edge of the pool  
was Michi. The mer-girl's eyes lit when she saw the blonde tomboy.   
  
"You are here, I was afraid that I'd made you up"  
Haruka smiled at her. "Yes, I know what you mean, I thought maybe it   
had all been a dream, but then I'd pinch myself."  
  
Michiru laughed. "You look much better"  
  
"I really feel much better."  
  
Their eyes met and they were both quiet for a moment. It  
was Michiru who finally broke the silence.  
  
"I brought you a present." She reached into a bag that was  
around her waist and fished out a fork.   
  
"Here," she proclaimed proudly presenting it to Haruka.  
  
"What's it for?"  
  
Michiru suddenly looked disappointed. "I was hoping that you  
would know."  
  
Haruka couldn't stand that sad look in her new friend's eye.  
  
"Oh, I do and I can use it, Thank you." Haruka flashed a   
smile at the girl. Michiru beamed back. It was the beginning of a   
beautiful friendship.   
  
------------------------------Three Weeks Later------------------------  
  
Haruka kicked off her weather worn breeches, her white shirt   
quickly following. After removing her undergarments, she stepped into  
the lagoon. A soft breeze flowed over her naked body. She walked to   
the water's edge and dipped a toe in. Its sun-kissed warmth beckoned   
her and after a hard days work gathering coconuts, a bath was   
definitely in order. She began to wade deeper into the lagoon, gently   
scooping water up and pouring it over her sweaty skin. She was taken   
by surprise when with a strong splash Michiru surfaced in the middle   
of the pool.  
  
"Haruka!...oh." The beautiful mermaid froze when she took in   
the state of her friend  
  
The water came to just below Haruka's knees. Little rivulets  
ran down between her breasts and across her belly. 'She's magnificent.'  
Michiru noted wryly to herself that Haruka was beginning to tan all   
over. Water clung to her nipples and the shimmering droplets framed   
her well-toned thighs. Michiru flicked her tail and that one movement   
took her to Haruka's side. Almost in a trance she reached out and   
placed her hands on Haruka's slender hips and then slid them reverently  
down the sides of her legs. "They're beautiful." She breathed. Haruka   
gasped softly at the feel of Michiru's hands on her. Worshipfully she   
ran her fingers over the taut lines of Haruka's thighs and cupped her   
palms around Haruka's knees. Michiru was enchanted by this body that   
was so different from her own.   
  
This close Michiru noticed for the first time the patch of dark  
blonde curls at the base of Haruka's belly. She reached out a curious   
finger and ran it over the slit and tiny nubbin hidden there. Haruka's  
hips jerked forward and she cried out in surprise. Haruka's grabbed   
the wrist of Michiru's questing hand.  
  
"M-Michiru, don't!"  
  
Michiru jerked her hand away. "Did it hurt?" she asked   
concerned.  
  
Haruka's head was thrown back and she was breathing hard.  
  
"No, it didn't hurt...It felt very very good."  
  
"Okay, I'll do it again."  
  
"No! I mean we can't."  
  
Michiru was confused "Why?"  
  
"Because we're both girls."  
  
"I'm not really a girl." Michiru reminded her lifting her tail  
from the water and waving it for added emphasis.  
  
"But we can't get married."  
  
"Well, of course not."  
  
"Good. You understand."  
  
"Haruka, I don't understand. If this feels good then why don't  
you want me to touch you?"  
  
Haruka had retreated back onto a rock ledge. Her arms were   
wrapped around her breasts to hide their puckered nipples. She was   
looking at Michiru with an odd expression on her face. Michiru was   
suddenly embarrassed and she turned away from the other girl.  
  
"I'm sorry I interrupted your bath." She gasped out, barely   
able to contain her tears as she dove under the water and disappeared.  
  
Haruka watched her go, feeling sad that she had hurt Michiru's   
feelings, but still very shaken up inside. Michiru's touch had set her  
on fire and awakened many feeling that she wasn't quite prepared to   
deal with yet. Sighing, she slid back into the water and waded to the  
small waterfall. She stepped under the flow and let the cool water  
rinse away the day's grime. Her fingers sifted through her blonde mane  
and she worked the sweat soaked strands apart with her fingers. She   
just need some time to think this through.  
  
Michiru was thoroughly confused. Her father was a powerful   
merman and powerful mermen usually had harems; her father was no   
different. Michiru was one of the most beautiful of his offspring, but  
her mother was not one of the head wives. She was actually happy she   
was not counted among the favorite royal children. If she had been,   
she would never have been able to disappear so often and that meant no  
Haruka. Because of her beauty, she would most likely one day be given  
to another mer-prince to cement a treaty in a far off ocean. Michiru   
had always accepted her fate, but now her mind rejected the idea. She  
wanted to stay with Haruka. As for them both being female she had   
heard enough whispering in the palace to know that two females could   
mate. She knew for a fact that her mother had a lover.   
  
The next morning dawned bright and early. Haruka gathered a   
few mangos and went to the water's edge. She hoped that Michiru would  
show up. After yesterday, she felt that they needed to make amends.   
'Honestly, I overreacted.' Of course, Michiru wouldn't understand  
being embarrassed about being naked. She didn't wear any clothes and   
she was unashamed of her body. From what Haruka could see there was   
absolutely no reason that she should have been. As for the   
pleasure... 'You wanted her to, you LIKED it,' an annoying voice in  
her head shouted and Haruka scowled as the errant thought skittered   
through her mind.  
  
"You're still angry."   
  
"What?"  
  
"About yesterday." While Haruka had been focused on her inner   
struggle, Michiru had appeared and was watching her solemnly.  
  
Haruka sighed, "I'm not angry."  
  
Michiru folded her arms on a rock and set her chin on them.   
"You look angry."  
  
"Here, try some of this." Haruka changed the subject and   
handed her a sliver of the mango. Michiru took the piece of orangy   
fruit. She inspected it thoroughly and then sniffed it.   
  
"You eat this?"  
  
"Yes. Try it."  
  
Haruka watched somewhere between amusement and irritation as  
Michiru squenched her eyes shut and flicked her tongue out to   
delicately lick it.   
  
Flavor exploded in her mouth. "Mmm, sweet."   
  
Michiru quickly consumed her portion and looked at Haruka   
again.  
  
"You want more?"  
  
"YESS!"  
  
---------------------------London, England--------------------------  
  
The Duke of Tennough paced in his study. 'Where was Alexandra?'  
He hadn't seen his daughter for almost half a year. His investigators  
had tracked her to the nearby wharf and from there she had vanished.   
Of course, it wasn't a woman that they remembered seeing but rather a  
lad of maybe sixteen. The duke had made sure not to reveal that Alex   
was his daughter. It might have endangered her life.   
  
He had sent a few of his trusted servants out to the taverns   
frequented by seafaring riffraff. A few ships from the Orient had just  
returned and perhaps someone had seen Alex. The Duke stared out into  
the darkening twilight; all he wanted was to have her home.  
  
--------------------------The Island-------------------------------  
  
It was night and Haruka lay on the rock ledge of the lagoon.   
The water came just to the edge of it and Michiru was sitting with her   
back against the stone. They would sit like this and talk together   
late into the night. The evening sky was clear. Overhead it looked as   
though someone had covered the world with midnight blue velvet, then   
tossed handfuls of sparkling diamonds into it for good measure. The   
view was spectacularly enchanting both human and mer-person hearts   
alike.  
  
"Haruka?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How many wives does your does your father have?"  
  
"He's only had one that I know of - my mother, but she's in  
heaven now."  
"You lost you're mother? I'm sorry, how sad! But your father   
had no other wives? At the same time, I mean."  
Haruka suddenly understood. "No, in my country men only take   
one wife."  
"But what if the man loses his wife, like your father?"  
"Oh. A man can get remarried if his wife dies. I guess father  
just hasn't met anyone he really likes yet."  
Michiru was quiet for a moment taking all this in. "Haruka,   
have you met anyone special yet?"  
"What?"  
  
"I mean, do you want to get married to a man?"  
  
"Me? No, I don't want to wander around in a big frilly dress  
at the beck and call of some snooty lordling. I'm like the wind, I   
won't ever be tamed."  
  
'Haruka in a dress?' Michiru shook her head to clear such   
silly thoughts. She had seen such a thing once. One of their   
scavengers had found one in a ship wreck and brought it to the palace,  
everyone had taken turns looking at the odd contraption with its   
layers of fabric and under frame. Michiru considered a dress very   
impractical. If Haruka had been wearing such a garment when she had  
been thrown overboard, she would have been dragged to the ocean floor.  
And it was doubtful that Michiru, in her weakened condition, would   
have been able to free her in time. Her friend would have most likely  
drowned. Michiru shivered despite the warm night air. Her hand crept   
up and touched the fabric of Ruka's breeches, feeling the reassuring   
heat of the skin beneath. She was comforted by the simple connection.  
  
Haruka was leaning back on the rock and looking up into the   
heavens.  
  
"The stars are so beautiful here," she observed.  
  
Michiru looked up, then nodded her agreement.  
  
"I never really noticed them until I met you."  
  
Haruka reached out and combed her fingers through the silky   
curls on Michiru's head.  
  
"In my country there are a lot of legends and traditions   
surrounding stars - especially falling ones."  
  
"They fall?!" Michiru gasped. She looked at Haruka   
suspiciously, but she could see no sign of trickery on her friend's   
face.  
  
"Yes, my nanny told me once that if you wish on a falling star,  
and then do a good deed, that what you wished would come true."  
  
"Really?" That sounds nice."  
  
"But there was a catch."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"You mustn't tell anyone your wish or it won't come true."  
  
Michiru nodded, her face alight with child-like wonder. Haruka  
smiled at her.  
  
"Did you have any traditions like that where you came from?"  
  
"Yes, they said if you went and petted the sea cucumbers that  
something bad that was supposed to happen to you wouldn't."  
  
"Did you ever do it?"  
  
Michiru's lovely face wrinkled in displeasure "No, I could   
never think of anything that could happen to me that was worse than   
having to pet them."  
  
Haruka laughed softly.  
  
Michiru caught a glimpse of something silvery out of the corner  
of her eye. There was something streaking across the deep blue of the  
night sky. An excited twitch of her tail propelled Michiru out of the   
water. One of her hands was levered on the projecting ledge and with  
the other she was pointing.  
  
"Haruka! There's one. A falling star!! I see it. Look!!"  
  
"So it is," came Haruka's amused reply.  
  
"I should make a wish, right?" she said excitedly to her   
friend.  
  
"Especially since this is your very first shooting star."  
  
Michiru's gaze flickered from the sky above to Haruka's face.   
The moonlight reflected off the water and bathed them both in soft   
light. Smiling eyes met and the gazes held. In that moment in her   
heart of hearts Michiru wished that she could be human so she could   
spend the rest of her life gazing on those beloved features.  
  
"Your Grace! Your Grace!" We've found your daughter!" The   
little man was out of breath  
  
"She's. been... a..a sailor since she..." he began to try to   
catch his breath.  
  
The Duke was excited at this new information  
  
"Delwood, get it together man, what the bloody hell is a   
'sailor senshi'?"  
  
"Sorry, your grace. I mean to say that she's been a sailor   
since she ran away. She signed on board the "Sea King" as a cabin boy.  
One of the crewmen from the vessel said that he and his mates  
recognize the description."  
  
"But you didn't tell him that..."  
  
"No, your Grace, of course not."  
  
"Good, good. Where is this fellow? I'd like to question him   
myself."  
  
-----------------------At the Rusty Anchor-----------------------------  
  
"Yeah, I member 'im alright. Scrawny lad. Had hair like straw."  
  
"Yes, that's him."  
  
"Ye say this boy's yer son."  
  
"He's my child, yes. Do you know where I can find him?"  
  
"Is there a reward fer this infermation, governa'?"  
  
" If you can reunite me with my ...son, I can guarantee that   
there will be a rather large reward."  
  
"Well, I reck'n we can do that." The sailor's face lit up with   
a grin and he elbowed the man sitting next to him. The whole exchange   
made Delwood uncomfortable, but the Duke wasn't paying attention to   
anyone. His only thought was of finding Alex.   
  
-------------------------The Island---------------------------------  
  
Haruka was sitting on the edge of the water - naked, her legs  
trailing in the water. She was waiting for Michiru. They had became   
more physically comfortable with each other and Haruka decided if  
Michiru was unashamed of her own nakedness that there was no reason   
for her to be, either. She and Michiru had found themselves discussing  
everything personal. They were intimate in every way - except one. She   
remembered that sultry day when she had discovered just how responsive   
she was to the touch of the mer-princess. She had often thought back   
to that day and fantasized about what might have been.   
  
She threw her hand over her eyes and groaned. 'Bloody fool,'   
she thought to herself. 'You really ruined that chance. Who knows  
if you'll ever get another one.' She rolled onto her side and looked   
at her present for Michiru. It was a beautiful flower she'd found   
growing on the south side of the island. She'd never seen one like it.  
It looked like an exotic variety of tiger lily. The petals held a soft  
pinkish hue and there were tiny speckles on them. Michiru would love   
it...if she ever got here. Suddenly Haruka heard the telltale splash   
as her friend surfaced in the center of the pool.  
  
"Haruka, I'm sorry I was late, but we all had to appear before  
my father today and..." She trailed off when Haruka sat up. Michiru was  
never able to control her response to Haruka well enough to suit  
herself. A flush rose high over her cheeks and she fumbled for words.  
"and I wa-..was late."  
  
Haruka grinned at her. She now knew Michiru still found her   
attractive. "Michiru, I have a present for you." Michiru approached   
her, checks still pink and her blue eyes averted. Haruka reached out   
and tipped her chin until their gazes met, "This is for you." She said  
tapping the flower against the bridge of Michiru's nose." Michiru   
gasped in pleasure.   
  
"Oh Haruka, this is beautiful! I've never seen such a thing   
and nobody's ever given me anything like this before. It's lovely."   
She whispered the last part, stroking the petals gently. Impulsively,   
she lifted out of the water to plant a kiss on Haruka's cheek, but at   
the last second Haruka turned her head just enough to make their lips  
brush. Michiru gasped softly and her questioning gaze flew to Haruka's  
teal eyes. In answer, Haruka cupped Michiru's face tenderly and placed  
her lips over the mer-woman's trembling ones. Michiru responded   
whole-heartedly and lifted out of the water, pressing closer to   
Haruka. Michiru felt a tingling low in her belly and suddenly she   
wanted more. She needed to kiss Haruka's secret place. Somehow she  
knew it was what Haruka needed too.   
  
She slid her hand down across Haruka's taut belly and trailed   
her fingers across the blonde curls between Ruka's legs. Haruka moaned  
softly and lifted her hips to follow the gentle caress. Michiru kissed  
her belly button and moved up to her breast, gently stimulating the   
swollen buds. The husky moans coming from Haruka only served to excite  
Michiru more. Haruka couldn't stand it any longer and was twisting in   
Michiru's grip. Perspiration shone on her tan skin as she reached for   
the culmination of pleasure she knew hovered just out of her reach.   
Meanwhile, Michiru was sending the first probing licks into Haruka's   
wet center.   
  
Haruka writhed on the cool stone as Michiru laved her beautiful  
sex, concentrating on Haruka's pleasure bud. A few strong licks took   
Haruka to the edge and a gentle swirling motion pushed her over.   
Michiru's insistent hands kept Haruka from squeezing her thighs   
together and the feeling of being spread made Haruka's first climax   
even more intense. She arched her hips up and bucked with the spasms   
of completion, her strangled cries echoing off of the rocks above.  
  
Michiru smiled at Haruka's dazed expression and left a long   
gentle caress down her lover's body as she slid back into the water.   
She wasn't exactly sure what to do now that they'd taken this step.   
Haruka's eyes slitted open.  
  
"Mi-chiru" she called softly.   
  
"Right here."  
  
Haruka looked up and saw Michiru in the water. She grinned and  
slid in beside her. Her arms went around the mer-woman's torso   
  
"I enjoyed that. So how do mer-people..?"  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
Haruka was surprised by that.   
  
Michiru was blushing furiously  
  
"You don't know?" The blonde repeated after her lover.  
  
"They don' tell you until you get married."  
  
"Oh." By this time Haruka was flushing as well. "Um, okay, just  
come here. She pulled Michiru close and began kissing her shoulders.   
Michiru hummed softly with pleasure. Haruka leaned down and whispered   
gently into a little shell pink ear.  
  
"I love you."   
  
All Michiru could do was give a little gasp and burrow closer  
to Haruka. Tail and legs entwined beneath the water as the two curled  
together resting their heads together, swaying softly with the ripples  
that buffeted their bodies. It was dance, simple with its rhythm, but   
ever so precious to the two hearts of those caught in its insistent   
pull.   
  
-------------------Aboard the Duke's ship the "Talisman"---------------  
  
The Duke stood on board the bow of his ship with the three men  
he had had found at the tavern. The seamen were starting to make him   
very uncomfortable. He had made his ship ready and departed the next   
day, but he hadn't had time to secure a full complement before leaving,  
so he would have to row to the island with this bunch of characters.  
  
"You're sure that this is where the Captain put him off?"  
  
"Oh yes, your Grace. It was 'ere, it was. The boy said 'e  
wanted to go to that island ov'r there."  
  
Delwood made a face "Why on earth would la-...lord Alex want   
to go there?"  
  
"'ard t'say governa' 'ard t'ay what goes through a boy's   
mind."  
  
"Very well let's go gentleman. I'm anxious to find my son."  
  
It was too humid to move. Haruka lay in her makeshift hammock.  
Her clothes had been plastered to her body with sweat so she had   
discarded them in favor of just her small cloths. Haruka was just   
drifting off into dreamland.  
  
"Haruka! There's a ship. It's coming into the bay. WAKE UP!"  
  
Michiru was severely agitated.  
  
"What?" Haruka asked in a tired voice.  
  
"A ship!"  
  
Haruka was on her feet in a second. She jerked her clothes and  
raced toward the inlet as fast as she could. Sure enough there was a   
ship on the horizon. She could tell that it was no longer moving. They  
must have anchored just off shore and were rowing the rest of the way   
in smaller crafts.  
  
She scanned the waves for a glimpse of a rowboat. Finally she  
sighted it about 200 yard off shore. She blinked and looked again.   
'It couldn't be...' but as the boat came nearer she was sure of it. It   
was her father...and those ruffians from aboard the other ship." What   
was her father doing with them and how had they found her?  
  
Suddenly she saw one of the men grab her father from behind.   
"No!" she screamed. She saw her father's head go up when he heard her  
cry. The sailor took the opportunity to wrestle her father's purse   
away from him and then pushed him out of the boat.   
  
The other two crewmen tossed the fifth person in the boat over   
board and them began to row away from the island. Haruka raced into   
the water, but just as it hit her calves she saw the rowboat teeter  
precariously and then flip over entirely. She thought she caught a   
glimpse of green hair. 'Michiru'  
  
The three other men spluttered to the surface and then began to  
swim toward the island. The other person the evil sailors had pitched  
from the boat had already reached a place where he could stand and was  
moving toward her.  
  
Haruka finally though recognized the man who was splashing   
through the surf. He looked like the very model of a little   
bespectacled Englishman - who had been dunked several times in cold   
seawater.  
  
"Delwood?" she asked in an uncertain voice.  
  
"Lady Alexandra?"  
  
The sailors interrupted them as they crashed through the waves   
bent of getting rid of Haruka for good. One of them, a small wiry   
man, reached the shore before his companions. He launched himself at  
Haruka with a dagger clutched in his fist. He let out a feral cry as  
he hurtled toward his intended victim.   
  
Something that had lay long dormant in the back of Haruka's   
mind began to awaken. She stepped to the side just as the man sailed   
past her. She didn't quite step far enough and the dagger sliced her   
upper arm. It was the pain that brought Haruka back to her senses. She   
spun on the balls of her feet and delivered a powerful kick to the   
fallen man's ribs. When he rolled over with the dagger still clutched   
in his hands, she grabbed his arm and twisted it, placing her foot at   
the juncture if his elbow. She yanked upward neatly breaking it. He  
screamed in pain as she relieved him of his knife, then calmly slit  
his throat.  
  
She felt comfortable with the blade in her hand. She turned   
back to her other two pursuers. One of them had veered off and was   
heading for Delwood, the other was still moving toward her. He was   
raging at her, intent on breaking her neck.  
  
"And when we finish with you, we're gonna get that fish-girl   
of yers and when we get done with 'er she'll wished she never laid   
eyes on ya."  
  
Haruka weighed the dagger in her hand. 'Yes, with enough   
force...' Utilizing skills that she couldn't remember ever having   
learned Haruka threw the knife at the man coming at her. The metal   
sparkled in the sun as it whistled through the air before embedding   
itself in the man's chest. He dropped stone dead at her feet.  
  
The last man had decided that he had better take care of the  
younger 'male' before he killed the bookkeeper. Haruka braced herself  
to meet him head on. He crashed into her, his beefy hands wrapping   
around her throat. He was just beginning to squeeze when thunder  
roared over head and he went limp. Haruka rolled his dead weight off  
of her and looked up to see Delwood standing with a tiny derringer in   
his hand.   
  
"It's good to see you well, Lady Alex."  
  
Haruka smiled at him "It's good to see you, too."  
  
They both remembered the Duke at the same moment and looked   
out into the water, frantically scanning for some sign of him.  
  
The duke gasped, flailing as the undertow dragged him out   
toward the rocks. He wanted to call for help, but he merciless waves   
only knocked him back beneath the water's surface. He had to help   
Alexandra. He had to fight.  
  
Michiru swam in the direction that she had last seen Haruka's   
father. The strong flicks of her tail propelling her further, faster   
than any human. She knew that they had to be very near the rocks, but  
at this point she didn't care. She saw an object in front of her and   
she reached out and was gratified to feel her hand close on a fistful   
of fabric. 'She had him!' She dragged his body back against her own   
and tried to free him from the current he was trapped in. She suddenly  
realized that she too was caught. There was no way she could free   
herself. All she could do was wrap her arms around the older man and   
try to get his head above the water.   
  
The duke broke the surface and promptly coughed up a lung full   
of water and then began sucking in precious air. Beneath him Michiru   
was fighting her element with all of her might, but the waves were   
pushing her into the dangerous rocks. She wrapped her body around the  
man's and braced herself for the pain. When it came it was worse that  
she had anticipated. The barnacles cut ragged chunks out of her tail   
and slit her tender sides. Blood was pouring from the wounds and the   
salt water burned as it poured into the open gashes. She tried to swim  
but she was caught on something. Michiru marshaled the last of her   
strength and miraculously tore free of all that held her, propelling   
the Duke and herself away from the rocks and toward the beach.  
  
Haruka hardly even noticed when the second tiny boat came   
ashore. It was filled with some of her father's most trusted crewmen.   
They had not cared much for the men that the duke had left the ship in  
the company of and so they had followed at a distance, but they were  
now all watching the waves for some sign of their beloved leader.   
Haruka was beginning to panic. Where was her father? Where was Michiru?  
  
Suddenly she saw her father's silver head surface a few yards   
from shore. She and the other men ran toward him.   
  
"He's been hurt!" she heard someone call out.  
  
'Oh God, surely not!' They grabbed the sputtering Duke's arms   
and helped him get to his feet.   
  
"Are you hurt, you Grace?"  
  
"No, I'm fine, just had a bit too much salt water." He said  
laughing softly as he looked out at the salty liquid that had nearly  
claimed his life.   
  
Any rejoinders his crew might have had was cut off by an   
anguished wail. He spun around to see his daughter cradling a body to   
her own. Blood poured freely into the water from the neatly bisected   
tail. He blinked at what her saw, but there was no denying that for  
the first time in nearly thirty years of sea faring he was indeed   
seeing a mermaid - and she was dying.  
  
Haruka gathered Michiru to her. The bloodless lips and pale   
face terrified her.   
  
"Michiru! No," she sobbed "Don't leave me again." The words   
were wrenched from her soul. "I love you darling, please don't go."   
  
"H-haruka," the voice was so faint that at first Haruka thought  
she had simple imagined it, but an icy hand touched her cheek.  
  
"Don't talk." Haruka shushed her.  
  
Michiru ignored her "Haru-ka, I love..you." Her eyelids slid   
shut for one last time and her breathing stopped altogether.  
  
"Noo!!!" Haruka knelt in the bloody surf cradling Michiru's   
body.   
  
All of the men stood on the beach. They didn't fully understand  
exactly what had happened, but they all felt a deep pain in the region   
of their hearts. Every one was so caught up in the agony that radiated   
from what seemed to be their very soul, that no one really noticed when  
it was that the blood began to flow back into the mermaid's body.   
Suddenly a wave rushed in from the sea, but instead of water it was   
made of a silver energy, that surrounded the dead girl and lifted her   
from her lover's clinging arms. Haruka, terrified of losing contact   
with Michiru forever, made a desperate grab for the body, but the  
light carried the girl up and out a few feet from shore. Haruka heard  
a roaring and the silver energy encased the lower half of Michiru's   
battered body. It was the power of a one selfless act, the   
manifestation of a single honest wish. It was all of that and   
something more; something eternal. It surrounded the mermaid and   
organs rearranged, scales were replaced by sleek skin, fins   
restructured into dainty feet with coral pink toes. With a final   
flash the light gently deposited Michiru back into the shallows at   
Haruka's feet. Suddenly her chest heaved and her beautiful blue flew  
open.   
  
Michiru looked down her body where her tail had so recently   
been and then back into Haruka's eyes. She was crying steadily, but   
she managed to whisper softly to Ruka.  
  
"Look, my wish came true."  
  
At that Haruka broke and tears flowed softly down her cheeks.   
With a fierce look of concentration on her perfect features Michiru   
pushed away from Haruka and tried to get her new legs to respond.   
After a few aborted tries Michiru rose and took her first teetering   
steps, right into Haruka's open arms. Haruka cradled the fragile body   
that held the beloved soul she loved so dearly. Tears streaked down  
their faces. Haruka couldn't stand it any longer; she gently tipped   
Michiru's chin up and claimed those soft lips with her own. Michiru   
arched in her arms trying to meld herself to Haruka. Her hands made   
fists in the material of Haruka's shirt.  
  
The sodden Duke watched this with wide green eyes. Here was   
his daughter locked in a passionate embrace with a beautiful naked   
FEMALE sea nymph. He flashed an uncomfortable half-smile at Delwood  
and did the only thing he could think of. He advanced on Haruka and   
Michiru. Haruka looked up her eyes still slightly glazed from her kiss  
with Michiru, but still alert enough to be wary. She rose, placing   
Michiru protectively behind her. She was surprised when her father   
enveloped her in a bear hug. He whapped her on the back a couple of   
times - hard. The impact jarred her injured arm.  
  
"My son! My only son, you've finally returned to me."  
  
Haruka smiled wryly. Her father loved her, but he still had   
his aristocratic pride. She returned his embrace.  
  
"Father."  
  
-----------------------Three months later ----------------------------  
  
All of London heard about the demise of the Duke's only  
daughter Alexandra. She had apparently taken cold and passed during   
the harsh winter. Everyone wondered who stood to inherit the dukedom.  
All of the town was promptly delighted and scandalized when they   
found out that the Duke's daughter had a twin brother, who had been   
kidnapped at birth. The young man had just returned to England with a  
beautiful bride. Some said she was a princess from some small far off  
principality - obviously she was from some backward county, she had   
green hair! The Duke held a grand ball in honor of the new Marquis   
and Marchioness and coveted tickets were jealously sought. The Duke  
invited most of the gossipmongers and dowagers he knew would be sure   
to spread the romantic tale through the ranks of London society.   
  
Haruka stood at the door to her bedroom.  
  
"Are you ready yet, Love?"  
  
"Just a second!" she heard Michiru's musical voice call from   
the direction of the closet. Suddenly she appeared, pulling on   
lavender gloves.   
  
The breath left Haruka's chest in a rush. "Oh my."   
  
Michiru spun around showing off her new dress. "Do you like  
it?"  
  
It took Haruka a couple of seconds to regain her breath 'Did   
she like it?' She loved it! The dress was in the perfect shade of   
lavender to complement her aqua hair. Speaking of Michiru's hair, it  
was pulled back from her face and she had woven violets into the thick  
locks so that the flowers framed her face. Haruka's favorite part of   
the outfit was the neckline which was off the shoulder and which   
dropped to a line of ruffles that would very now and again give Haruka  
a glimpse of Michiru's soft breasts. Breasts Haruka had caressed not   
three hours before. It was rather obvious to her that Michiru wasn't   
wearing a corset, not that she really needed to. Maybe later she could  
see what else her 'wife' had chosen not to put on.  
  
While Haruka was admiring her dress, Michiru couldn't help but  
note what a handsome figure her lover made in her dark blue long coat  
with it's yellow brocade. Haruka had on a white shirt with ruffles at   
the neck. The collar was fastened with a blue stone. She was also   
wearing a navy cummerbund and tight fitting blue breeches that   
emphasized her slender hips. The two stood still for a moment   
drinking in each other's appearance.  
  
"Well, my love, shall we?"  
  
Michiru beamed into Haruka's teal eyes. "Yes, let's."  
  
Haruka took Michiru's hand, giving it a warm squeeze, before  
placing it in the crook of her own elbow. They turned together and   
descended down the steps into the ballroom.  
Finis  
  
Author's notes: I worked really hard on this one, I hope you  
enjoyed it. For those of you who like fanfics  
to tie into the Sailormoon Universe in some way, I'm   
going to do that in the sequel.   
Also, In a few weeks I'm going to need a new editor.   
I write only about Haruka and Michiru.  
I do sometimes delve into the world of hentai so that's a  
concern. If you are interested, please email me.  
  
Dedications: To Haruka and Michiru lovers everywhere!!  
  



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